Mason Cole

Born and raised in Shelby, North Carolina, Mason Cole picked up the guitar at eleven after getting it for Christmas. He learned his first riffs on YouTube and joined a junior high guitar class—mostly, as he jokes, “an excuse to play during school hours.” Already ahead of his classmates, he quickly gravitated toward songwriting. “I grew up riding with my dad, listening to Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Keith Whitley. Those were my heroes before I knew what heroes were. Later on, discovering Americana and Red Dirt—Isbell, Sturgill, Childers—felt like finding a new branch of the same family tree.” Mason’s work ethic comes from helping his father move houses and mobile homes with Simmons Structural Movers. At fifteen, he recorded his first project, Lonesome Again, in a small studio he and his dad built from carpet padding and insulation. He tracked, mixed, and mastered all fifteen songs himself, setting the tone for his independent approach. As his career gained traction, Mason shared the stage with artists such as Lainey Wilson, Corey Smith, Craig Morgan, and others. In 2023, during his final week of high school, he performed a 10-show residency at the MGM in Las Vegas. Later that year, at eighteen, he signed his first record deal with Santa Anna/Sony Music. With his band The Hellbenders, Mason Cole steps into a louder, more rock-driven chapter. The new album brings grit, energy, and a fresh edge while staying true to his roots.